


Dancing in the Rain

by Otava



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Dancing in the Rain, F/M, FTL, Fairy Tale Land, First Dance, One Shot, Princesses Belle, Rain, Rumbelle Showdown (Once Upon a Time), Rumbelle Showdown 2020 (Once Upon a Time), spinner rumple
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:54:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26258242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Otava/pseuds/Otava
Summary: Belle's carriage gets stuck on the road and Spinner Rumple is the only one who can now get her to the ball on time!*A Rumbelle Showdown One-shot
Relationships: Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold
Kudos: 16





	Dancing in the Rain

Belle sat in her unmoving carriage and sighed. It had been over a half hour now since the carriage’s wheel had broken off from it's axle. The coachman had taken one of the horses to the nearest village for help, leaving poor Belle stranded with only her young footman who looked barely old enough to be working such a job in the first place. She, at first, had been waiting outside in the open with the boy, but she could tell by his body language that she was making him nervous, so she stuffed herself and her huge yellow dress back inside and counted as the minutes passed her by. 

She just couldn’t miss Prince Gaston’s ball! She just couldn’t! Not when the future of her life, her kingdom, and the lives of her countrymen were on the line! 

There had been a rumour that this was the night he was supposed to ask for her hand in marriage, if she missed tonight, missed the ball, he might rescind his offer. This was absolutely the worst time for a wheel to break! Though there wasn’t much she could do about her current situation, she felt helpless and panicked. She waited and ten more minutes passed.

A knock came at her carriage door from the young footman. “Miss, pardon the interruption,” he said. “I think I found a solution to your problem.”

“What is it?” Belle immediately came out of the carriage. “What is it, Baelfire?”

“Well,” the boy said sheepishly, as he pointed to another vehicle parked right besides them. “This man here is my Papa, his name is Rumplestiltskin. He just happened to be passing this very road with some of his yarn for sale. He’s headed over to the next kingdom to sell it at market tomorrow morning. He said he can give you a ride if you wish it.”

“Oh! Thank you so much, yes,” Belle said, immediately as she hurried toward the small cart. The man in front of her, the footman’s father, looked somewhat similar to the boy but with straggly long brown hair and tired eyes. He bowed upon receiving her.

“If I can be of service, I’d love to help serve the crown,” he said. Belle thanked him again and both he and his son helped Belle and her poofy dress get situated in the cart after a seconds of shoving, lifting, and maneuvering. She felt ridiculous with all the room she took up, but the man said he didn’t mind.

“I think I’ll stay here, Miss. In case the driver comes back, I think it’s important he knows you're safe. I’ll trust my Papa to take good care of you.”

They nodded and continued on. The journey was taking longer than she hoped. The man’s single mule was no match for the thoroughbred horses that pulled her carriage. They made slow time and soon darkness and clouds started to creep into the sky. The man didn’t say much and seemed equally as nervous as his son had been in her presence as they rode on together. He finally broke the silence after he too noticed the clouds rolling in. “Looks like it’s going to rain.”

“Oh, please don’t say that. That would almost be worse than the carriage breaking down!”

As if on cue, it began to sprinkle. She heard the man spit out a mild curse before his eyes widened, realizing what he had done in the presence of this kingdom’s royalty. “Oh, I beg forgiveness princess, it’s just, if this rain keeps up, my yarn’s going to be spoiled for market.”

“It will likely ruin the silk on my dress too. It seems like we both are rooting against the rain.”

“We’re nearly there. Not much further. I think there’s a tarp in the back you might be able to use to keep a little dry, but after the rain soaks through it, it won’t be much help. We can keep traveling or we can try to find some cover by the trees, what do you want me to do?”

Belle quickly weighed her options. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to press on. It’s imperative for our kingdom’s future that I go to this ball before it ends. If it does rain, I can compensate you triple for your loss of product, not to mention compensation for helping a princess in severe distress.” 

He nodded.

Everything was looking up. She can see the outskirts of the city, they were nearly there but the ball was almost over by now. If she could make at least the last hour of the event, her bad luck would certainly change for the better. Just as they entered the city gates the rain started picking up significantly but it wasn’t too bad, there was still a chance they could make it. She could tell that Rumplestiltskin was determined, he pushed his mule hard the closer they got to the castle as the rain really began to start pouring down.

“Oh no, no, we can’t let you two take the main road into the castle’s entrance,” said the gatekeeper. “You lot are far too unsightly for the royal types to see you.”

“But I’m the princess of the neighboring kingdom. You saw my invitation, I have with me: I’m an honoured guest, please...”

“Doesn't matter. I’ll get a whipping if I let you through the main gate in that musty cart. You can take the service and staff road where they park the carriages. I’ll send one of my men ahead of you to let you in through the staff’s quarters. We’ll inform the master that you have arrived.”

“Thank you,” Belle said. While she wanted to argue, they were getting more wet the longer they were outside. Hopefully her dress would make it through the last leg of the journey. Up to then she'd been using the flimsy tarp Rumplestiltskin had given her and even some of the yarn itself to try and stay dry. It seemed to be doing the trick, but she wouldn’t know how she fared until she had to get out of the wagon. She feared the worst.

The sound of lively music and laughter filled her ears as they got closer towards the castle’s staff entrance. Rumplestiltskin was in the process of helping Belle out of the wagon when Gaston himself walked out and stayed under the protection of the awning, just shy of the rain.

“I can’t have you coming in like that, Princess.”

“What, but I’m hardly even wet!” She had just finished getting out of the cart, while Rumple helped her keep her dress away from the mud.

“But you are still wet. Your hair and makeup are a mess, not to mention your dress’s covered in all that filth. It absolutely won’t do. I must ask that you not enter the building. You can wait till the rain lets up, if you must, before you leave.” Gaston went back inside without another word.

“What is wrong with that brute!” Belle screamed out loud, letting her dress fall in the mud as she rushed to follow after Gaston into the castle, banging at the door for a few moments before giving up. She returned to Rumplestiltskin who was just standing there in the middle of the rain. “I tried and I failed. I’m so sorry. The future of our kingdom is-” She clutched onto the unsuspecting Rumplestiltskin and sobbed deeply into his chest. Her tears mixed with the heavy rainfall as her sobs grew deeper.

It was just her and him, the sound of the rain, her cries, and the music in the background. They stood in the middle of the rain soaked to the bone. After she finished crying all her tears, the sound of the rain and the party, just a wall away remained. It was such a lovely song playing now, it was her favorite one. She sobbed once more, then looked up at him.

“May I have this dance?”

The two began softly swaying to the music as the rain continued on.


End file.
